Gold
by randomrandom
Summary: PostPOTW fic. The effects of the TARDIS in Ten and Rose... and the effects on something altogether more sinister. WIP
1. Prologue

**Gold.**

**AN:** The typical post episode fic. Could be a one off, could develop into something longer, I'm not sure yet. Initial reactions to Ten? I don't like it, miss Nine already. Sigh. But I'm trying to overlook that in writing Rose in this fic. Hope it works.

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New teeth? _New teeth? _Regeneration always messes with his senses a bit, but this is ridiculous; this is different from usual. She's different. He can feel everything she's feeling, all the fear and pain and confusion, and he feels like his heart – hearts – are breaking because there's nothing he can do.

New teeth? He could kick himself. Barcelona? What does she care about Barcelona? She's just saved the world, saved him, done and seen things no one ever should and here she stands, staring at him, tears sliding unnoticed down her cheeks as she watches him struggle. He doesn't know what to say.

"Rose?"

Still staring, still frozen somewhere between horror and mourning and disbelief. Still glowing, in his eyes.

"Y-you can't be..." Her voice is a hoarse whisper and she begins to shiver as she speaks, fresh tears spilling out of haunted eyes.

He hangs his head, utterly lost. This jacket is too big for him and he feels tiny. Insignificant.

But suddenly she's walking towards him, one unsteady hand outstretched, her face still alight with amazement. He closes his new eyes as her trembling fingers trail across his new skin, lightly, ever so lightly but enough to bring new tears flooding into his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Rose," he grates out finally. "I should have told you."

"You would have." Her voice catches. "You would have. We didn't have enough time."

She smiles, sadly, tentatively, and flattens her palm against his cheek. The sudden contact, stronger than before, intensifies a link that was established the moment Rose looked into the TARDIS, into his ship. For a split second, all of time and space rush inwards to where they stand, and they are the only two beings in existence. Another split second and Rose gasps, jerks away, the faintest golden glow radiating from her, fading away as quickly as it appeared.

She looks at him, looks _into_ him so forcefully, so heatedly that he can hardly keep his eyes on hers.

"I remember," she whispers. "Jack."

And then he springs forward, just catching her in time as she falls. He holds her, unconscious in his arms, presses kisses into her hair, can't seem to stop whispering,

"I'm sorry."

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So...? I have an idea of where this can go if I continue it, but I also like it as a one-off... Advice is welcome! 


	2. Black and White

**Gold.**

_Chapter One: Black and White._

**AN: **Thank you so much for the response to the first part ofthis. I'm still not sure it wouldn't have been better to have left it alone, but my exams finish on Monday which means I'll have a lot more time for writing, so I wanted to have a go at this. It's a challenge to me, anyway.

**p.s. **reviews make the world go round. as does tea.

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The air around them is full of whispers. He can't hear them but he feels them as he sits, leaning against the central pillar with Rose in his arms, memories of his time with her slowly clarifying. He remembers the first time he took her hand, how different she seemed from any of his previous companions. He remembers her saving his life, and the look of shining excitement on her face that always made him feel so proud. He remembers so many things; slaps and chips and dancing, and always her hand in his.

He remembers how she glowed, stepping out of the TARDIS like some guardian angel.

"_I want you safe. My Doctor."_

Even now he can hear the words and see the look on her face. He can feel the shock he'd felt and the rush of love and fear that had flooded through him as he watched her and saw what she was willing to do for him.

For him… but what is he worth? What has he ever done to deserve such a protector?

He leans his head back against the console and closes his eyes, one hand absently stroking Rose's hair. He shouldn't feel this close to her, he knows, not after a regeneration. He should be confused, different; changed inside as well as out. He shouldn't be replaying that kiss over and over in his mind, and yet it is all he can think about. He knows he should be thinking of other things; fixing up the TARDIS, for one, checking that she's okay after what she'd done for him, for Rose.

He should be thinking of Jack, who fought so bravely and died because the Doctor wasn't good enough to save him. He saved Rose though, and he hopes that is enough. Hopes that Jack can forgive him because at least he saved Rose, and she's always been more important than either of them. He squeezes his eyes tight shut, fighting against the tears that he can feel forming.

"Right, no more of this," he says aloud, startling himself with his higher, softer voice, his brisk London accent completely at odds with what he is used to hearing.

He can't think anymore about the important things; can't make sense of it all. Feels like his head is going to explode with light the way it's already done twice this day. He grins to himself, forcing his mind to focus on the trivial matter of what damage has been done to his beloved ship.

"Get on with it then." He has to move now, has to act. Has to make sure Rose is okay, but nothing he tries succeeds in waking her up. He doesn't want to let her out of his sight, so he carefully deposits her in the chair that seems to live by the console and shrugs out of the leather jacket, laying it over her.

He takes out his sonic screwdriver and gets to work, leaning over a panel on the console, trying to focus all his energy into the task at hand. But he can't concentrate; he is so painfully aware of her presence.

"What did you do to us, eh?" He lays a gentle hand against the central pillar of the TARDIS, wishing she had a way of answering his question.

The whispers in the air grow louder in his mind; he can feel time's energy pulsing and flowing around him, he feels things he has never felt before. Rose shifts in the chair, a frown crossing her features, and suddenly the Doctor can feel echoes of her racing heartbeat all through his body. Black and white images flood his mind and he struggles to make sense of them, his eyes locked on Rose as he leans against the console for support.

He sees Jack, hands out by his sides as he is thrown backwards, accepting his death willingly. He sees countless others, falling under the relentless power of the Daleks, hears their screams and feels their fear. He sees Rose stepping out of the TARDIS, commanding and beautiful as she killed and…

"_I bring life."_

Only Jack is there in his mind now. Jack laughing, Jack flirting with Rose to make the Doctor mad with envy, Jack's face on the communications screen on floor 500.

"_Never doubted him, never will."_

He gasps and jumps back from the console as though he's been burnt. In the same moment Rose wakes with a start and they stare at each other, silently acknowledging the shared visions and the knowledge of what they must now do.

She stands quietly by his side as he sets the coordinates for the Gamestation.

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Thank you for reading. 


	3. Home

**Gold.**

_Part three: Home._

**AN: **My exams are over! Yesss! So now I'll be able to update more often, this and my other ongoing fics.

**AN2: **Somebody, Katyana, I believe, pointed out that David Tennant is Scottish. Although I heard somewhere (anyone?)that something's actually going to happen with the accent, his few lines in The Parting Of The Ways were in a distinctly London sounding accent, so with that I will stick. On a more general note, thanks so much for the reviews, guys. It's really really encouraging and I'm getting a lot more confident with my writing. Having said that, this chapter'll probably be dodgy now, heh, but hopefully not. Enjoy!

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The TARDIS lurches to a degree that would at any time before have had them both sprawling on the grilled floor, but they stand steady, unaffected, watching the monitor carefully as the ship lands.

They walk together to the doors and step outside without so much as glancing at each other. The control room on floor 500 is deserted, as they expected, but ripped out, tangled wires distort the scene, piles of dust are still scattered on the ground. Rose shivers and the Doctor takes her hand; she smiles faintlyat the simple familiarity of the act.

It is dark here but neither of them needs much light. Rose takes the lead; the Doctor may have channelled the Vortex as well but it was she who used it to search through every corner of the satellite and, without actively remembering, she can feel traces of the knowledge in her mind. They step over the debris and mess without paying it any attention; it is unimportant now.

They move down in silence through floor 499, 498 and so on until they reach the security deck where the Doctor and Jack were taken when they were arrested. When Rose was killed. This time it is the Doctor who shivers and she looks at him for the first time since they left the ship. She smiles warmly at him, the first real smile since he changed.

There is no dust here. Doors have been broken open and the floor is cluttered with parts of guns and machinery. There is a soft buzzing noise coming from somewhere hidden from view and they follow the sound.

He is hard at work. He is frantically welding various pieces of metal together, separating and stripping wires and fixing pieces together, muttering to himself under his breath.

The Doctor feels a painful twist in his chest at the sight, and he senses echoes of the same feeling in Rose, standing at his side.

_We left him. Does he think we meant to?_

The words come into his mind unbidden, as though they have been spoken aloud. Glancing at Rose, he sees the question in her eyes. He answers it only with the sadness in his own.

"Jack." Her voice is barely a whisper, but he hears her all the same.

He freezes, and the air in the room seems to turn to ice. The Doctor holds his breath, feeling the magnitude of this moment hanging in the air, weaving around them like time itself.

He turns, agonisingly slowly, and locks eyes with first the Doctor and then Rose.

"We thought you were –"

"I was. I'm sure that I w –"

"But then I remembered –"

"You brought me back." It isn't a question. He can see the truth in her eyes; the slightest, most minute of changes has occurred in her. Something dark lies behind the warmth of her eyes and he knows without asking what she has done.

"I'm sorry Jack, we –"

"I've heard about regeneration, but I never knew if it was true or not." He leans back against the table and folds his arms, expression completely guarded. Whatever emotions this new Doctor has stirred in him are expertly hidden. "So what happened?"

"I channelled the Time Vortex from the TARDIS," Rose tells him quietly. "It gave me control over everything. I could've…" she falters and touches her fingers to her forehead, frowning. The Doctor glances at her anxiously, understanding and yet fearing her struggle.

"You should be dead, in that case." Jack straightens and walks over to them, stopping in front of Rose. He reaches out to touch her face, staring at her.

"_You are worth fighting for." _The memory ripples through the Doctor's mind.

"I don't understand."

"I did," the Doctor now takes up the tale. "I saw that it was killing her and she couldn't stop, she couldn't let it go. So I dragged it out of her."

_Don't. Don't say anymore. _Her eyes are closed but he doesn't need to see them to understand her silent appeal.

The three of them stand facing each other in silence. Then a huge grin breaks out on Jack's face and he grabs his two friends, pulling them into a hug. Rose is startled at first, her eyebrows shoot up and a wry smile settles on her lips, but she melts into the hug as the Doctor laughs and presses a kiss into her hair, and Jack follows suit.

He pulls away after a while, scrutinising the Doctor with all his old sparkle.

"Not bad, you know," he drawls. "Think this one'll be a little more open to suggestion?" he asks Rose with a wink.

She laughs as she links her arm through his. "Come on, you." She leads him out of the door and towards floor 500, and the TARDIS. She doesn't need to look back at the Doctor; she knows that he's only a few paces behind.

_We're going to have to explain this more to him at some point._

She hears the words in her mind, the Doctor's new and yet somehow familiar voice, and she's taken aback. There's only so far coincidence can go…

_Is that you?_

_I think so…_

_What is this?_

_I don't know. But we're going to have to explain to him._

_Just not yet. Not when we don't understand it all ourselves. _

The TARDIS comes into view now, and Jack disentangles himself from Rose, running towards it with a happy cry. He throws his arms around the blue box, grinning.

"I thought I'd never see her again."

"Oi, and what about us?"

He shrugs, still leaning against the TARDIS. "Replaceable."

Rose feels the Doctor step up next to her and she turns to him. His arms are folded but his expression looks cheerful, and his eyes are shining. They smile at each other in reaction to Jack's childlike delight.

_Let's just do this for now._

He stares at her for a moment, seeing the faintest glimmer of gold in her eyes, before grinning and taking her hand.

"Alright, come on."

And the three of them go home.

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Next part up in the next few days. Thank you for reading. 


	4. Sun

**Gold.**

_Part four: Sun._

**AN:** This is turning out so differently to how I imagined it, I just hope it's still good to read. It's definitely my favourite to write out of my fics, the others of which I'm neglecting slightly in favour of this, heh. Anyway, new Doctor description in this chapter, and obviously I have no idea of how he's going to be in the series, but this version of him sort of took up residence in my mind and I like him so I wrote him down.

Enjoy.

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They laugh and joke like the old days but they all know it's only a mater of time before they must talk about what happened on Satellite 5. Unspoken words creep under the surface of everything they say and do and it isn't just the Doctor who has changed; they all shift around each other, pretending everything is normal as they reacquaint themselves.

They go to Barcelona and Jack says it's better than Disneyland Pluto, and Rose complains that it's not as hot as the Earth's Barcelona would be, so the Doctor takes them to Thailand, Earth, 1849. There is no one in sight; the small island on which they land could be totally uninhabited for all they know, and Jack is the first to discard every item of clothing and disappear into the crystal blue sea.

Rose is less hasty, laying herself out on the sand in an emerald green bikini, letting the sun's warmth envelope her and shutting her mind off to all but the light breeze that dances delicately over her skin.

The Doctor watches her.

He is younger in spirit than his previous form. He wears loose-fitting jeans and old sneakers and 1970s band t-shirts, and he laughs when Jack tells him off for his lack of style. He plays music all the time in the TARDIS, but there's no more dancing. He flirts more than ever with both Jack and Rose, but there's never any promise to it. He and Rose avoid being alone with each other because they know that they are more connected than ever.

But he watches her. Every night he dreams of her, golden and majestic and more powerful in one moment than anyone in the Universe. He dreams of her in his arms, belonging just for one moment to him, giving him her trust and her life. In his dreams, though, they kiss and they don't stop. In his dreams, the death and ruin around them fades away and time is theirs to learn each other and love each other. In his dreams, he doesn't change, doesn't let her down by leaving her.

He is unaware that as he dreams she is drawn to him, that she stands at his bedroom door watching him, feeling the link between them burning. Every night she takes a step into the room and then loses her nerve and leaves him to his dreams.

And now, on a beach in the middle of nowhere he watches her silently, and he feels the familiar painful twist in his chest that he never felt before he met her. The breeze floats around him, lifting his thin t-shirt slightly off his body. The air here is rich with warmth and spice and he feels intoxicated as he watches her. He is leaning against the open door to the TARDIS, and he can feel energy flowing from the great time ship, but he is unsure of what it means. His ship is talking to him, but his mind is so clouded with Rose and the memories of his previous self that he cannot hear her. He feels alone suddenly, small and cold underneath the sun. He closes his eyes for a moment and rests his head against the TARDIS, feeling the strength that she gives him gladly.

_It's rude to stare, you know._

He smiles as he feels a warmth of words filter into his mind. They haven't talked like this since their last visit to Satellite 5, but there's no mistaking her tone. She hasn't looked up, her eyes are still closed, but he can feel her presence in his mind, can almost picture the wry expression she would have on her face. He walks over to her and drops down next to her in the sand.

"Sorry."

She opens one eye and regards him lazily.

"S'alright." Then she sits up and looks at him properly. "Are you okay?"

"Of course." He stares out at the sea, smiling when he catches sight of Jack sliding and splashing through the waves. "Are you?"

She nods, following his gaze into the distance. "Tired."

_There's more than that, isn't there?_

She sighs. She picks up a loose white shirt, embroidered and gathered, and pulls it on. "I'm burning."

_Tell me._

_Nothing to tell._

"Liar." There is a smile in his voice and she accepts this, but she turns her head to look at him all the same.

"I never lie to you Doctor," she says quietly. "It's not possible, especially not after…"

"I know." He takes her hand and returns his gaze to the distant sea. "Time Lords all have… had, telepathic abilities, you know. But they were never able to use them except with other Time Lords."

"But I'm not a… what happened to us?"

"It must have been the TARDIS. We both channelled the Vortex, after all. We held the entire universe, all of time and space between us, even if just for a moment."

"So what does that make us?"

He considers a moment. "Well. Same as before, only – "

_Even closer. I wish you were him._

A jolt of pain goes through him at this, and tears fill her eyes as she feels it.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I wish I was too, really. I let you down."

"No." She shakes her head and then lays it on his shoulder. "No, you didn't. You never could."

They are silent for a long time.

"It doesn't mean I don't love you just as much. You're still you." She pauses, and then grins up at him. "Better looking, and all."

He stands, laughing, and reaches down for her hands. "You're not burning," he tells her as he pulls her to his feet, his eyes sweeping over her. "You're tanning. Turning gold." He smiles and reaches out to finger the colourful stitching at the neck of her shirt. "You look like a gypsy in this."

She is standing so close to him and their eyes lock for a moment that feels like forever.

A distant splashing grows nearer and Jack's eager voice calls to them.

"Come on you two, don't just stand there!"

Rose grins and pulls the shirt off as the Doctor strips to a pair of loose hawaiian print trunks. She raises an eyebrow but says nothing, and he laughs and takes her hand, pulling her towards the water's edge.

"Come on, gypsy girl. Let's keep the kid company."

The energy flow from the TARDIS calms and grows content as the three distant figures splash and play in the ocean, and the sun goes down. They laugh and forget about what has not been said, detaching this time from their usual lives, existing only inside this moment, this time and this place, each wishing it could last.

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Have nearly finished the next part - I wrote most of it before this one, for some reason - so it'll be up tomorrow, hopefully. Thank you for reading. 


	5. Jack

**Gold.**

_Part five: Jack._

**AN: **It's a long one! Sorry I took a little longer than promised to get this up, I hope you enjoy it though.

* * *

Time is a relative thing. Time twists and turns around us; some are aware of it, some less so, but it is the one constant in the universe. It crawls past us, sometimes it flies. It can be kind, but is often brutal; it can give so much but it takes away even more. 

Rose Tyler can feel it.

She begins to understand what the Doctor sees and feels everyday, and it doesn't drive her mad; she remembers his words on Satellite 5, the look of relief when he realised she could understand it, this burning sense of time and space and every moment in existence like a billion tiny stars all blazing in your mind.

She feels a strange warmth run through her when she thinks of him now. It feels like the glow of gold, so faint that she thinks no one else would see it, in his eyes when they look at each other.

She's lying on her bed onboard the TARDIS, the cool darkness of her bedroom calming to her sun-heated skin. She smiles at the memories of their day; Jack's childlike joy, and the Doctor's face when he was so caught up in trying to dunk Jack that he almost forgot to feel guilty and unhappy. She remembers the jolt of electricity that ran through her when he grabbed hold of her, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her up when she slipped in the water. Ever since the TARDIS linked them this way just the simple contact of skin on skin stirs something in Rose and makes her feel unsteady and yet sure of his presence in her mind and her heart.

A gentle knock sounds, breaking through her thoughts, and she turns her head to see Jack slip into the room.

"Hey Rosie." He walks over and sits on the edge of the bed, where he pauses a moment before changing his mind and lying down next to her. "You're not dressed yet."

"Nope."

He looks at her for a moment before leaning down to her shoulder and darting his tongue out to taste her skin. He makes a face. "And you haven't showered yet either, you taste like sea water."

She grins. "Better leave me alone then, eh?"

"Nah." He lies back down with his arms behind his head, following Rose's gaze up to the ceiling.

"You alright Jack?" she asks after several minutes of silence, during which she can feel an insistence pressing into the air; the faint glow of the TARDIS in her mind.

"He seems almost the same, doesn't he?"

She sighs. "Yes."

"I like him."

"Me too."

"But –"

She reaches down and takes his hand, still staring up at the dark ceiling. "I know."

There is another pause.

"You seem almost the same, too."

She turns her head this time, sharply, staring into his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think I could put it into words." He meets her gaze calmly. "But you've changed. Not much, just something…" and there is more silence, before, "more like him," he offers.

"I feel older," she admits. "Not… not age wise but like," she waves her hand in the air, vaguely searching for the right word. "Different."

"I guess it has to do with the whole universe in your head thing."

She smiles into the darkness. "Probably. It's weird though; sometimes…"

He waits.

"What?"

"Oh I dunno, Jack, there aren't… y'know, this universe thing. Time and space, it's all too big for words. The only way to know it is to feel it, and feeling it is beyond anything we can – should – handle. S'why the Doctor's so…" she waves her hand around again.

"Eccentric?"

"Mmm."

She sighs again and shifts on the bed, brushing some sand off her arm. The silence between them is comfortable and easy and Rose feels a new love for Jack stir in her. She has always been his little sister, his best friend, but now she is a protector, a healer, and this instinct reaches out from her link with the Doctor to her love for this brother of hers.

"What was it like?" she asks after a while, keeping her voice soft and her eyes looking up into the darkness. She can't feel everything like she can with the Doctor, but she has a sense of him, vulnerable, unsure, grateful and almostin awe.

"What was what like?"

She knows he understood her, so she stays silent, letting him find the words for the unexplainable.

"It was… I don't remember much. It hurt," he adds, tilting his head as though it is just an afterthought, unimportant. "It was dark and… I don't know, I wasn't really scared, just sad. And then I woke up and it was like taking a breath when you've been underwater for too long, and it felt like I'd been dropped from really high up. You know, slammed into the ground." He gestures with his hands, flicking them against some invisible surface in the air above them to animate his words.

"Sorry," she offers.

Jack snorts. "Think I can forgive you for that one Rosie, seeing as it brought me back."

"Did you think we'd left you? I mean," she shakes her head a fraction, "that we'd meant to leave you?"

"No… I thought you were safe on Earth. I knew I'd died so it seemed obvious that the Doctor had thought it too. Still hurt, though."

She links her hand with his again. "Similar to realising he's sent you back home, on your own, and stayed behind to die, I'd imagine."

"He loves you," was Jack's only explanation. He thought a moment, and then, "he loves _us. _But you… I don't think love can even begin to describe it."

"You think?"

"You're the one inside his mind, you tell me."

"How d'you know ab–"

"It's pretty obvious, Rosie. Don't you guys ever discuss…"

"Nah. He keeps all the good stuff shielded from me, I reckon. It's more, words and feelings, between us. Y'know, not like, thoughts and… feelings," she finishes lamely.

Jack chuckles softly, and then jumps up, stretching and making his way towards the door.

"Why don't you get dressed and we'll go get a drink or something. Much as I love you in that bikini," he grins, and she matches it with her own smile.

"You're all charm, you are." She sits up and yawns. "We landed somewhere?"

"No. But there're drinks aplenty around here." He opens the door and lets light spill into the room, causing Rose to blink furiously several times. He turns just before closing the door. "You should talk to him, you know. He's acting fine but there's something… well, I guess you'd know."

"Yeah." Her voice is quiet and she looks down at her hands, irrelevantly noting that the chipped red nail polish needs removing. She hears the door close gently and lies back down, closing her eyes and reaching out, feeling the air around her stir as the TARDIS responds to her call.

She feels the shimmering energy winding and rushing through the corridors of the ship. She shivers as her link with the Doctor grows stronger with her searching, and the sense of him fills her suddenly, making her heart twist and contract in empathy. She can feel his sorrow, realises that now left to his own company and his own thoughts, he has sunk back into his grief, blaming himself for things that not even time itself could have stopped.

Rose gets up off her bed and gets dressed quickly, before hurrying out of her room to find him.

xXx

He is sitting at the kitchen table, hands wrapped around a mug of something hot, gaze fixed on the floor and a place invisible to Rose.

She stands in the doorway, unsure but desperate to help him despite the unease that still drifts through her at the connection to this new form.

But he looks so vulnerable, sitting there alone, and although he still looks a stranger she can feel that he isn't. She wants to stand there watching him forever, learning him, but somehow he knows she's there.

"Well?" His words fill the air, but he doesn't look up. Doesn't move at all.

She walks into the kitchen and kneels on the floor by his chair, placing a tentative hand on his knee.

"What is it?"

He is silent for a long time, still staring into a distance that Rose cannot see.

"Coward or killer," he says quietly, and she frowns.

"What – "

"It's what he said, the Emperor. He asked me."

"And you're neither." She ducks her head, trying to catch his eye and make him look at her.

When he meets her eyes it is on his own terms. He looks into her so intensely that she has to stop herself from reacting physically and pulling back.

"I'm both," he says, and then he laughs bitterly. "They're mutually exclusive." He holds her gaze, challenging her.

"It's not true. I know what you did." She sees the spark of gold in his eyes and she places a hand on his chest, over the double beat of his hearts.

_I know what you did and I know what you are._

_I am nothing. Next to you I am tiny._

_No. I'm the one kneeling at your feet; I've given you my heart, my trust, my life, and I will continue to do so. You're neither._

He slides down onto the floor, bringing them equal. He lays own hands over hers where it rests and holds it to him.

_I am undeserving. I was too weak, only you brought my strength to me. I'm too weak. I am a coward; it's all I have ever been. _

_A coward for not killing millions of innocent people?_

_A coward for not saving yet more from the Dalek race. _

_But you did, in the end._

_You did. _

_But nothing I do is without your influence or your touch. That's why the TARDIS linked us like this; you are laced into my every word, every action and thought._

His eyes are bright suddenly, shimmering with tears that he will never shed. He leans forward to rest his forehead against hers.

"Rose…"

xXx

Sometime later, minutes or hours, Jack is heading to the kitchen to make a coffee. He stops in the doorway, staring at his best friends as they kneel on the floor, a gold light glowing between their eyes and their hands entwined against the Doctor's chest. He smiles as he quietly shuts the door behind him and makes his way down the dark corridor in search of another kitchen.

* * *

I will try and get the next part up soon but I think I need to update my other fics, 'Heatwaves' and 'The Adventures Of Captain Jack,' first because they're being grossly neglected! Feel free to check those out in the meantime :grin: 

Thank you for reading.


	6. Top Hat and Dreams

**Gold.**

_Part six: Top Hat and Dreams._

**

* * *

Dedicated to London, the greatest city in the world and one which I am proud to belong to, and to everyone who was caught up in Thursday's events.**

* * *

"Oh," Rose lets out a contented sigh as THE END appears on the wall opposite them, held there by an old fashioned Earth projector. "That was so lovely."

"Are you serious?" The Doctor's incredulous face, usually directed at stupid humans, is almost the same as his old one, Rose realises. The same scornful eyes, the same unattractively contorted features, somehow wonderfully endearing.

"Yeah…" she suppresses a smile as he rolls his eyes. "Why?"

"It was totally predictable! I mean, in real life no one would be that lucky. 'Oh whoops, not married after all, smiles all round.' Happy ending."

"But it's got to have a happy ending," she protests, giving Jack, who is sitting on the floor and leaning back against the sofa, a shove. "Back me up Jack. Fred and Ginger have to have a happy ending!"

He turns his head and grins up at the Doctor, eyes gleaming in the darkness of the room. "The girl's right. It's old school romance, Doc. There're rules!"

The Doctor does his best to glower, but the fact that this 'flexible' 51st century ex-conman and permanent playboy still believes in "old school romance" makes him smile in spite of himself. He leans back and folds his arms. "Never liked rules much."

_Wouldn't have it any other way._

He looks over at Rose, who is sprawled at the other end of the sofa, in surprise. But her attention is fixed on Jack, who is animatedly describing some incident involving Gene Kelly and a wardrobe mix up which he _accidentally_ orchestrated.

"Let's watch him now! That one where he's in Paris!" Rose grins at him eagerly.

"Are you kidding? Come here." Jack jumps up, far too energetically for the Doctor's liking, and pulls Rose to her feet. He sweeps her into his arms and twirls her around the room dramatically; she complies laughingly, but the Doctor can sense a faint air of patronizing in her smile. Still, they make a nice pair, and he evenfinds that his old jealousy is gone, lost in the absolute surety of whatever it is that lies between he and Rose.

As always wanting to be part of the fun, the TARDIS brings the lights up to a soft glow, scattering spots of golden light over the walls as though from non-existent disco balls. The Doctor laughs softly and Rose looks over Jack's shoulder at him, the smile on her lips un-echoed by the look in her eyes.

"Hey." Jack nudges her leg with his knee and introduces a more complicated step. "You can't be my Ginger if you're gonna give all your attention to Mr Cynical over there."

"Sorry Jack," she laughs, and he grins at her.

She feels rather than sees the Doctor rolling his eyes.

_Couple of saps, you two._

She catches Jack's eye and they grin, and he twirls her around gracefully, humming under his breath. It is not long before words accompany the tune and the Doctor looks on, eyebrows raised as the makeshift Fred and Ginger before him continue to sway. Jack's singing _Cheek to Cheek _with a wide and happy smile and Rose lays her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and letting him guide her around the room.

"You're not a bad singer."

"My great great great great… well, my ancestor anyway, someone's uncle, was a singer," he tells them in between phrases.

"Really? When?" Rose looks at him now, her interest piqued.

"Around your time actually. He did musicals and things. Bit of a TV star, actually."

"Anything I've seen?"

"Nah, just some old sci-fi show and then things that were aired after you left, I think."

"Right you two." The Doctor drags himself up from the sofa, stuffing his hands into his jean pockets. "D'you wanna land now and go do something? 'Cause if not I'm off to bed."

"Thought you never slept." Rose wrinkles her nose and looks at him. "Thought it was just for human weaklings."

Jack snorts. The Doctor shrugs.

"Better than watching you two."

"He's going to his room to sulk and listen to early Stones records," Jack decides, and then yawns. "Maybe I'll go, too."

"Still trying to get into my bedroom, Jack," the Doctor sighs, shaking his head with mock sadness as he leans against the doorframe.

"You know what I meant, old man." He kisses Rose on the cheek and walks out of the room, blowing a kiss at the Doctor as he passes.

The TARDIS keeps the gold lights sparkling, but there is a change in the atmosphere. Rose holds her arms out to the Doctor silently and he goes to her, sliding his arms around her waist and laying his head down on her shoulder. They are happy just to stand there wrapped in each other, though they move slightly, keeping up the pretence of dancing. It is only a pretence.

xXx

She sleeps. In her room at the end of countless dark ways through the TARDIS, darkness where time is not quite itself, she sleeps in the dim light that the great time ship keeps floating around her. She dreams of daleks and death and a light so bright that she cannot even think straight, let alone see her way through it. And yet she must, she must… something is pressing down on her mind, screaming at her to look harder, run further, think faster. The light fades from her dreams and she is left in darkness.

Further on through the still and silent corridors the Doctor wakes at the same time that Rose does, her name lingering on his lips. He half sits, forcing himself to calm down, and then turns as he lies back down and buries his face in his pillow. His hands are in fists, clutching at sheets and blankets as he tries to remember, to make sense of his dreams. There was Rose, and she wasn't talking, wasn't even looking at him. And he had to tell her something but there was light, so much light getting in the way and he can't remember…

_Where are you?_

_Here._

He gets out of bed and leaves his room, following the sound of her in his mind, feeling for her. He finds himself in the console room and smiles. He wouldn't have picked this as somewhere she'd go for comfort in the middle of the night, yet he knows she must be there for the same reason he is. He finds her standing over the main console, staring down at the panel that would lead to the heart of the TARDIS.

"Dreams?"

She nods.

"I had to tell you something." He walks over to her and leans back against the next panel along, waiting for her to look at him.

"And I had to find out something." She looks, and sees her own unease mirrored in his eyes.

"So what is it?"

"You're asking me?"

"You held the Vortex for a lot longer than I did. What do you remember?"

She is silent for a long time.

"I-I can't… there's too much light…" she frowns and looks so lost all of a sudden that the Doctor doesn't know what to do. In the old days he'd have been able to explain away her fears, take her hand and buy her chips and end it all with a laugh. But there's nothing he can do now, and it hurts. He reaches out to her and she leans in to him, so he kisses her lightly and then gently pulls her into his arms.

"I don't know what this is," he says softly, "but I'm not sure it's just us and Jack that the Vortex affected."

"Then we'll sort it out. We always do."

Her words are strong but there's no mistaking, to him at least, the note of fear in her voice. He hugs her tighter.

* * *

Yes, I have been watching Top Hat, and I couldn't resist sticking a little domestic section into this, though it's hardly relevant to the story. I like it though; I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Thanks for reading xxxx.


	7. Rose

**Gold.**

_Part Seven: Rose._

**AN: **This was really supposed to be a short Doctor/Rose fic, but it keeps growing and Jack keeps making his presence felt... and actually, the more I write this, the more I love Jack (I didn't know that was possibly but apparently so) and start to ship him and Rose just a little bit more... who knows what'll happen?

But there's lots more to come, dammit. I was hoping to get this finished so I could work on my other fics, but it's nowhere near done. I love this one, but it's awfully selfish and won't let me write any other fic at the moment.

**AN2: **Reviews make my day ;)

Enjoy.

* * *

Breakfast is a silent affair. Jack has had a sleepless night as well, but none of them discuss what needs to be discussed. The air is heavy with unspoken words.

Rose is chattering on about some TV show she used to watch, and the Doctor and Jack listen passively, exchanging glances that show a mutual unease at her cheerful manner. It is clear she's hiding something, but she's blocking the Doctor from her mind and all they can do is pretend.

"So what we doing today?"

The Doctor looks at her, startled by the sudden question, and sees her carefully expectant expression as she continues to chew her toast. For a moment his mind drifts back to last night and he remembers holding her and feeling so safe that he now thinks it must have been a dream. But no, it was dreams that brought them there… He blinks, bringing his thoughts back to the present and pushing everything else aside.

"I don't know."

"Oh." She doesn't keep the surprise out of her voice; it's not often the Doctor utters those particular three words, and even less so that he is willing to let a day go by with no plan, no destination, and no chance of adventure.

"So anyway," she carries on as she reaches for the peanut butter. "And Shireen was always saying that girl could have been _me, _but that's total rubbish because none of these characters are realistic, right? And…" she catches Jack's eye and trails off. "Well what you said before it just, reminded… me…"

Jack sighs and downs the last of his coffee. Setting the empty mug down on the oak table, he studies his friends, who are both far too absorbed in their respective toast and cereal. Rose is the picture of happiness, but it doesn't reach her eyes. The Doctor has a studiously neutral expression, though his jaw is clenched so tightly Jack wonders that he has any teeth left.

"So, how 'bout these dreams huh?"

Rose chokes on her toast and the Doctor almost drops his newspaper into his Ricicles. They glance at each other, and Jack knows that look. That look means that they're talking, drawing on the energy link between them. He sighs again and leans back patiently in his chair, arms folded.

"How d'you know about…" she frowns at him.

"I dreamt of nothing last night. Literally, nothing. It was real but there was nothing there, no sound, no colour, nothing to touch, nothing to hear, no light or dark. Like being…"

"Dead," the Doctor finishes for him, and Rose looks at him sharply.

"You've dreamt that too?"

"No." He is looking closely at Jack, studying the younger man and seemingly searching for something in his eyes. "But I know what he's talking about. You know what I dreamt last night." He turns to Rose with a thin smile and then stands. "I'll go and see where we are."

Left alone with Rose, Jack feels strangely uneasy. This new, stronger, tougher version of his friend is hard to get used to and he feels cut off, not needed. Her smile is bright and familiar, and on the surface it warms him, but it doesn't lay his doubts to rest. He couldn't put it into words if he tried, but it irritates so that he can't forget it. Maybe it's the TARDIS in her head, or the Doctor in her head, or the remnants of the power over life and death but whatever it is it scares him, because it's a part of her that he can't get to.

She stands then. "I'm going to get dressed, back in a minute."

As she passes him on her way to the door, she pauses, her hand on his bare shoulder, and leans down to kiss his forehead gently. Her touch makes him ache for the safe feeling that he would have found with her just a week ago. She hesitates and he knows she can feel it; he wonders how when she's not even looking at him, their only contact her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. She flattens her palm against his skin and he feels a rush of calm spread through him, easing the painful tight feeling in his chest. It isn't gone, but it is lessened considerably. He knows that she loves him and they will always be brother and sister no matter how else their relationship changes. He only wishes it didn't have to change in the first place.

And then she's gone and he's not sure quite what just happened. He gets up and carries his mug and plate over to the sink and rinses them absently, turning things over and over in his mind. A loud bang coming from the direction of the console room breaks him out of his thoughts, and he heads towards the heart of the ship, wiping his hands dry on his blue pyjama bottoms.

"Alright?"

The Doctor is standing a little way back from the console, arms crossed, looking thoroughly perplexed. He nods his head vaguely in Jack's direction in reply. Jack steps up to stand next to him and scratches his head in confusion, turns to the Doctor with raised eyebrows.

"It just… blew…" he says in something like amazement, waving his hand towards the smoking panel facing them on the console.

"Hunh."

"She's never done that before."

They stand together in silence for a few minutes, staring at the aftermath of the TARDIS' little tantrum.

"What do you think…" He trails off as the Doctor snaps into action, clapping his hands together and stepping up to the console.

As soon as he nears the injured panel there is a hiss and a shower of sparks, and he steps back again. He stuffs his hands into his jean pockets and Jack smiles; it is an action that seems to be habit with this Doctor and, he supposes, it fits with his younger appearance. With a start, Jack realises that this Doctor, currently tinkering with a different panel, looks almost younger than him.

"She must be trying to tell you something," he says absently, startling himself out of his thoughts.

"Tell _us_ something," the Doctor corrects with a smile, and Jack grins. "But that much is obvious."

"But besides what she's usually trying to tell you…"

The Doctor looks up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jack raises an eyebrow and the Doctor has the grace to redden and return to his mechanics.

They remain in silence for a few moments, Jack resisting the urge to count.

"But what, though?"

"Oh come on, she wants you and Rose to hook almost up as much as the both of you do, and –" he waves a finger threateningly in front of the protesting Doctor's face "– don't go denying it, I've seen the way you two look at each other."

"That's the psychic thing –"

"Except you haven't always had that. But you've always looked at her like she's made of gold."

"Rubbish."

"If you say so."

The Doctor feels the air in the console room relax slightly and swirl around him, somehow matching perfectly the amusement sparkling in Jack's blue eyes. He can feel the softest push in his mind, warming him, and he hurriedly shuts it off, blocking Rose from his racing thoughts. He stares at Jack for a moment and then turns back to the console, running a hand through messy brown hair. He runs his hands gently over the panel.

"What is it, girl?"

Suddenly an unknown force takes hold of his hands and it feels as though the TARDIS is trying to pull him into the central column. He gasps, his head thrown back, and he can feel the ship's presence in his mind like he hasn't done since he was channelling her. He sees Rose then, as clearly as if she's standingbefore him. She isn't facing him, but she turns and gives him the strangest, saddest smile and then fades into a gold light that dissolves before his eyes. He jumps back from the console as if it has burnt him, and feels Jack's hands on his shoulders, steadying him. He turns and meets his eyes, unable to keep the fear out of his own.

"What…?"

"Rose."

They wait a moment, only one moment, before they are out of the console room and on their way to Rose's bedroom. Jack holds back, letting the Doctor go first, following only a step behind. It is a long way to her room, but the TARDIS shifts around them, bringing them closer. Jack feels a rush of warm and shimmering air as they run through one of the changes in the space of the ship, and then they find themselves at Rose's door.

By the time Jack has registered this, the Doctor is already wrenching the door open. She is standing by her chest of drawers, dressed in jeans and a bra, holding up two similar tops and obviously trying to choose between them. She turns towards the two men with a smile, masking well the surprise in her eyes. But her smile fades when she takes in the looks on their faces.

"Are you alright?" she frowns, concerned.

"Rose…" the Doctor takes a few steps into the room, towards her, one hand outstretched, and she moves to take it.

Jack leans against the doorframe, heart pounding. The TARDIS is drumming, pulsing, urging, and it feels like time has stopped moving around them.

Suddenly Rose stops and pulls back, staring at the Doctor as though she's just realised something of great importance. A strange light settles over her and she slowly draws a deep breath before her eyes fall shut and she slides gracefully to the floor, unconscious.

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	8. Echoes

**Gold.**

_Part eight: Echoes._

* * *

Jack is sitting cross-legged at the end of her bed. His hands wont stop moving, picking at the sheets or pulling at the strings of his pyjama bottoms, or running through his already messy hair.

The Doctor sits closer to her, leaning against the headboard, silent and calm in a way that frightens Jack. He's stroking Rose's hair gently and staring intensely into empty space.

She looks for all the world like she's sleeping, still and peaceful, her deep breathing the only real sound in the room. They both know she is not merely sleeping. The Doctor senses a faint gold light drifting around her, and he wonders if Jack can see it. He looks up at the younger man, seeing the dazed, fearful expression on his face. Funny how an army of Daleks fails to phase him, but a situation like this…

"Why don't you go and have a shower, get dressed. You'll feel better. I'll call you if she wakes up or… anything."

Jack nods silently, understanding what the Doctor needs, and climbs off the bed. He leans down and kisses Rose gently, chastely, and meets the Doctor's eyes with a smile before turning and leaving them alone in the darkened room.

Somehow the silence that floods into the room now is heavier than when Jack was here with them. The Doctor sighs and slides down the bed so that he's lying parallel to her, taking her hand firmly in his. He feels time is suspended in this room, drifting around aimlessly, the TARDIS' spirit covering them, protecting and hiding them. It feels like the room, the world, is spinning around faster and faster and there they lie, still in the centre of it all. He is so painfully aware of the human laying by his side and her every breath that he can't think of anything else. He closes his eyes, forcing calm through his body.

There, sure enough, is Rose. She's faint, weak in his mind; so much of her strength is being spent on whatever it is that's happening to her, but she's there all the same. He can sense her smiling reassuringly, but he knows her better than she thinks and he feels the fear that she is trying to keep from him.

_Rose…Rose, leave it. Let it go and walk away and wake up. Please._

His words hang between them for a moment and then fade, and he can't be sure that she's heard him. He reaches for her, sensing chaos and fear and lights that burn far too brightly, but every time he begins to think he's close, she flickers out of sight and seems to be somewhere else entirely. Something is pushing him now; he can feel her, insistent and evasive, forcing him back.

_Rose, please…_

_Give me more time. You can't follow me here, Doctor. This is all my fault. _

She echoes through his mind for a moment and then she's gone, and he's left with nothing but his own racing thoughts. He opens his eyes slowly, silently thanking the TARDIS for having further dimmed the lights in the room. Rose is still next to him in the exact same position, the only change being that a slight frown rests upon her features, and her hand is holding his tightly. He wonders how much time has passed, realises that he feels strangely disorientated.

He moves slowly as he drags himself up and then stands, pulling his hand from Rose's grip. Standing over her, he feels guilt and fear and love wash over him; he knows what she's doing, and he knows that the visions the TARDIS can show are dangerous to those who don't know how to shield, how to keep their distance. Rose could never keep her distance from anything important, and now he can hear whispers in the air, blaming him, taunting him.

When he opens the door and looks out into the corridor he sees Jack coming out of the kitchen, whose door has been placed conveniently opposite Rose's. They stare at each other for a moment and then Jack follows him back into her room, a mug of hot tea in each hand.

"Is she -"

"No change." He stands by the side of her bed, arms folded defensively, and Jack can feel the change in atmosphere despite the Doctor's words. He can see the darkness in his eyes.

He sets the tea down on Rose's bedside table, realising how out of place it now is, and watches as the Doctor runs his sonic screwdriver over her still body, setting it to monitor her and act as an alarm should there be any change. The blue light is garish and unsettling, and Jack feels a horrible and long forgotten stinging feeling in his eyes.

"What's wrong with her?" His voice comes out small and afraid, and he wraps his arms around himself pointlessly.

The Doctor sighs, rubbing his hands over his face as though in an attempt to clear his mind.

"Why does she always have to be so headstrong?" He looks at Jack, eyes piercing and troubled. "She's…" he trails off, sighing again.

"You mean this is a conscious thing?"

The Doctor nods. "Not at first, but now… she could pull herself out, leave it alone. And she won't."

"Can't you…" he waves his hand in her direction, struggling to find the right words. "Y'know, go in there and get her?"

"Tried, she pushed me out. She said something about it being her fault."

"But _what?_" he demands heatedly. "What's her fault?"

"I don't know!" Jack knows his anger isn't directed at him, but they descend into a tense silence that is almost unbearable. He realises that his own frustration at the situation must be nothing compared to the Doctor's.

After a while the Doctor turns abruptly and heads towards the door without a word.

"Where are you going?"

"Talk to the TARDIS," he says quietly, the strong self-control he is exercising clearly audible in the tightness of his voice.

"She can help?"

"She started this. She and Rose think they can find out what we need on their own; I'm not going to let it happen."

"Rose is…" he doesn't finish his question, but the Doctor answers anyway.

"It's too dangerous for her. And if she won't stop it, I will."

And with that, he leaves Jack alone with the dreaming Rose.

* * *

Thank you for reading.


	9. Hold Me

**Gold.**

_Part 9: Hold me._

* * *

The console room is dark and reeks of desertion; the burnt out panel on the console is still smoking faintly and several of the Doctor's tools lie abandoned on the floor where they were dropped.

"Well?" His voice is harsh and unforgiving, and the room remains drenched in darkness. No lights shine on the console, the central column looks ghostly in its shade.

He circles the room slowly, looking for any sign of life, straining his hearing for any hint of the familiar humming that usually fills the ship. Nothing. The only sound he can hear is the heavy beating of his hearts, and he hears them only because he feels them so painfully tight in his chest.

Then he breaks; he's at the console in one swift movement, griping the side of it and staring into the central pillar as though he can make a change just with the intensity of the anger in his eyes. He starts to pull levers, hit buttons, turns dials violently and without logic and without restraint.

"Come on!" He slams his fist down onto the console. "Where are you?"

There is silence. The air in the room is still and empty and this sends a chill through him. He slumps into a nearby chair, rubbing his hands over his face, tired and defeated.

"Let her go," he pleads, his voice softer. "I know you mean well, but there are other ways. Please…" he knows that his ship is not listening, and his words come out quietly and pointlessly. "You're hurting her…"

He would have given anything to be proved wrong, but the next moment he hears a panicked yell and pounding footsteps, and Jack appears at the door, frantic.

"She's… I dunno, something's wrong you have to –"

The rest of his speech is lost as the Doctor tears past him.

She's still on her bed, her body now thrashing and trembling, hands reaching out for something. He takes her hands in his and climbs on to the bed, kneeling over her, ignoring the blows that her struggling body delivers to him.

"Rose. _Rose._"

His hands on her shoulders, he shakes her, trying to control the violent movements of her body. She turns her head to one side and then the other, the frown on her face deepening, words forming and dying on her lips.

"Wake up." He pushes her into the mattress, desperately trying to keep her still.

_Wake up! _His words are so strong that he's sure they must have sounded out loud; must be echoing round the walls of her room even now. But Jack, watching helplessly, says nothing.

"No," she mutters shortly, "no."

"Yes." He pushes her harder into the mattress, and she grunts with the force of it.

"Uh… Wh…" he sees, feels the question forming and squeezes his eyes tight shut for a moment, relief and hope colliding painfully inside him.

"That's it, come on, come back to us…"

"What… no!" She thrashes violently against him and he drops down, letting his weight fall onto her, covering her body with his so that she can hardly move at all. She struggles for a moment and then stills.

_Come on Rose. _He can feel her in his mind, growing stronger, brighter. _That's it love, come on._

He reaches for her hands again and brings them up to the pillow, lacing his fingers through hers.

Can't… 

_Yes, you can. Come on, come back. Please._

_I bring life. _The echo of her voice this time doesn't even come from her, isn't under her control. The words spin around their minds, dancing and mocking, and the Doctor feels fear underneath it all.

He feels that it's hurting her; the touch of her hands seems to transfer everything she's feeling, too much energy running through her and something else that he can't identify, can't quite get hold of. He grasps her hands tighter, trying to draw it out of her and feeling the burning gold light rushing through him. He pushes his body against hers once more, hard, and she jerks awake, gasping as her eyes open and lock onto his. He lets out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding, smiling down at her tentatively.

"Hello."

She looks for a second like she's going to reply, but instead she coughs suddenly and then Jack is there, holding out a glass of water.

The Doctor rolls off her, lying next to her, one hand still holding hers. Jack sits down on the other side of her and for a moment the silence between the three companions is awkward and strained, but then he grins cheekily.

"You know you two, you really oughtta go for drinks or something before you start with the – "

"Yes, thanks Jack."

"Just looking out for my friends," he grins, touching his fingers to his forehead in a mock salute.

"So." The Doctor looks back at Rose, propping his head up on his fist. "What was it?"

"There was…" she frowns, pushing herself up and leaning on her elbows. "It… the dream," she says, her eyes flicking from Jack to the Doctor nervously. "It was like that dream… that dream only I was right there in the centre and I…" her voice is quiet and small though she speaks quickly, and she trails off, studiously avoiding the Doctor's gaze.

"Do you remember what you said?" he asks her softly. He hesitates and then sits up, resting a gentle hand on Rose's stomach.

Jack frowns and shifts on the bed uncomfortably. "Shall I l-"

"No Jack, stay where you are." He glances up at the younger man long enough to flash him a small smile and then looks back at Rose, waiting.

"I don't… no. What?" she asks through a colossal yawn.

Jack smirks. "Must be tiring being unconscious for so long," he grins, and she rolls her eyes.

"You don't look well, Rose."

"I'm fine." She still won't meet his eyes.

"No, you're not. That was a very dangerous thing to do, and if you don't even remember what happened then it was all for nothing anyway…" his voice sounds harder than he meant it to, and she brings her gaze up to meet his, a faint gold light shimmering behind the tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispers.

He holds the moment between them, forgetting about Jack for just a second, and then he breaks it, reaching out to her, one hand cupping her cheek gently and the other stroking her hair.

He sighs, looks away and then straight back at her. "Rose…" He kisses her briefly and then rests his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I was… I was just worried," he admits, leaning back and glancing at Jack. "You scared us."

"Sorry Jack," she says through another deep yawn.

"Okay Rosie," he laughs. "You should go to sleep. Right?" He looks at the Doctor for confirmation, who nods and stands up.

"Yep."

He half expects her to protest, but she merely curls up on her side and closes her eyes as he folds the duvet over her. She looks peaceful, this time. Calm.

The two men leave the room in silence, Jack pausing to switch off the light as he passes through the door. Out in the corridor, he turns to the Doctor, arms folded, eyes grave.

"What did she say?"

"The same thing she said on Satellite 5 when she brought you back."

"Ah…"

"Yeah." He turns and heads towards the console room, sensing somehow that the TARDIS has returned the room to normal.

"You think tha– "

"You may not have been the only one?" Jack nods. "Could be. She'd know." He runs his hand over the console before switching on the monitor, logging on to the TARDIS' computer system. "And she's obviously trying to tell us something…"

"So," Jack says, pulling a second chair up to the console and sitting, waiting for the Doctor to do the same. "We've got some work to do."

* * *

Thank you for reading, please review!


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